Mount Carroll, IL-- The Magic Owl Children's Theatre at Timber Lake Playhouse (TLP) presents a new telling of the Robin Hood tale, designed specifically for young audiences. Each year, TLP, the professional summer theatre of Northwest Illinois, produces a spring show for schools in the region, offering thousands of young people their first exposure to live theatre. This year, the company has opened up ticket sales to the general public, as well.

The Commedia Robin Hood by Lane Riosley will be performed at the Playhouse from Wednesday, May 7 through Saturday, May 10 at 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. each day. Associate Artistic Director--and long-time TLP favorite--Courtney Crouse, directs a cast chosen from auditions around the country. All tickets for Robin Hood are only $5.00, as this program is partially sponsored by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, through federal funds from the National Endowment for the Arts.

In The Commedia Robin Hood, a merry troupe of actors ? Columbine, Arlequin, Punchin and Rosetta ? tackle, tumble, trick and trip their way through the tale of Robin Hood with fantastic abandon.  Get ready for action-packed clowning with puppets, stilts, singing, patter verse and fun mock-combat in this unforgettable adaptation.

Commedia dell'arte, Italian for 'comedy of the professional artists,' was a popular form of improvisational theatre that began in Italy in the 15th century and continued in its appeal for centuries.  At that time, all performances were unscripted and held outdoors, with simple props and inventive scenery.  The influence of commedia dell'arte is evident in much of our contemporary comedy, most notably in those great comedy artists of the 20th century, the Marx Brothers.

Some performances are already sold out, so advance tickets are suggested. Walk-ups to a sold out show will still be accommodated with folding chairs. TLP is located at 8215 Black Oak Rd. in rural Mount Carroll, IL. Tickets are $5.00 and available at the box office, by calling 815-244-2035 or visiting www.timberlakeplayhouse.org. The show is appropriate for all ages.

The Commedia Robin Hood is produced through special arrangement with Pioneer Drama Service.

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The Quad City Wind Ensemble's (QCWE) Spring Concert will be performed on Saturday, May 10th at 7:30pm.  The concert will feature 2014 winner of the Charles B. DCamp Young Performers' Competition, Gabrielle Hartman, bassoon.  Location for the performance is the Allaert Auditorium at the Galvin Fine Arts Center on the St. Ambrose campus.  Admission in $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and FREE for all students through 12th grade.  See attached poster for details.

Bassoonist Hartman, a sophomore at Muscatine High School, will perform the first movement of Mozart's Bassoon Concerto with the QCWE.  Second place winner of the 2014 DCamp Young Performers' Competition went to Jacob Nishimura, a sophomore alto saxophonist from Iowa City West High School.  Third place winner was tuba player Donovan Klutho, a freshman at Bettendorf High School.

Themed "Oh, The Places We've Been", the concert includes selections chosen by QCWE members from repertoire recently performed.  Selections from this concert will also be performed during the QCWE performance at the Iowa Bandmasters Association (IBA) 2014 Conference May 15. The conference takes place at the Downtown Marriott in Des Moines, Iowa.

The IBA includes a membership of over 1,000, most of whom are directors of school bands.  It is one of the largest and most active of all state bandmaster organizations in the country.  Its driving force has kept good bands and good band music thriving in communities of all sizes through the state of Iowa.

The QCWE was founded in 1987 by Dr. Charles B. DCamp of St. Ambrose University, and has become one of the finest adult bands in the nation. In 2012 the QCWE was the Community Division winner of The American Prize in Band/Wind Ensemble Performance.  For additional information, please visit www.qcwindensemble.org, or http://www.facebook.com/qcwindensemble

May 8th. 2014
Independent Scholars Evenings.
7:00 p.m.
Moline Commercial Club
1530 Fifth Avenue. Moline
" Planning and The Rule of Law "
Readings from this chapter from ' The Road To Serfdom' : By F.A. Hayek. Edited by Bruce Caldwell. 2007 University of Chicago Press edition.
Copies of the chapter will be available for co-learners to take home with them.
Due to the success of the previous session, a new session is being reviewed this week.
Independent Scholars' Evenings :
Doors will be open at 6:30 p.m.
We continue to meet on the 2nd. Floor of the Moline Commercial Club.
The event is free and open to all.
Light snacks and wine, and beverages are provided.
A cash bar is available.
Facebook page: institutecht@gmail.com
The Independent Scholars evenings are sponsored by The Institute for Cultural & Healing Traditions, Ltd. A 501(c)3 organization under US laws since 1996.
All contributions are fully tax-exempt.
Tanner Mathis hits three doubles for Quad Cities in road loss

BELOIT, Wis. (May 3, 2014) - Beloit third baseman B.A. Vollmuth broke a 1-1, fourth-inning tie with a two-run home run and designated hitter Ryan Mathews added a solo shot two batters later in a 5-3 Snappers victory over the Quad Cities River Bandits at Pohlman Field Saturday afternoon.

Quad Cities right-hander Edison Frias (0-1) allowed both home runs in his Midwest League debut and allowed Beloit (10-18) to take a lead in the first inning. Frias walked the game's first batter, center fielder Boog Powell, and allowed a single to left fielder B.J. Boyd that put runners at first base and third base. When right fielder Jaycob Brugman grounded into a double play, Powell scored the game's first run.

The River Bandits (12-16) came back to tie the game in the third inning. Left fielder Tanner Mathis led off with the first of his career-high three doubles Saturday. Center fielder Brett Phillips put down a sacrifice, and designated hitter James Ramsay lifted a game-tying sacrifice fly to center field. It was the only run against right-hander Kyle Finnegan (2-1), who allowed three hits and four walks with three strikeouts in five innigns. The right-hander stranded a Quad Cities baserunner in each of the first five innings.

The 1-1 tie remained until the foruth inning, when Brugman hit a leadoff single against Frias, and Vollmuth followed with his fourth home run of the season on a 3-2 Frias pitch that Vollmuth put over the left-field fence. With one out, Mathews drove a 2-2 pitch from Frias over the left-center field wall to extend the Snappers' lead to 4-1. Frias gave up two home runs in 57 2/3 innings in 2013. On Saturday, he allowed four earned runs on five hits and one walk with no strikeouts in a four-inning start.

Finnegan and left-hander Brent Powers kept the 4-1 lead until the top of the seventh inning, when Powers allowed a leadoff single by catcher Jobduan Morales, who went to third on a one-out double by Mathis. Phillips hit a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Morales, but Ramsay flied out to right field to keep the score 4-2.

Snappers right-hander Andres Avila took over in the top of the eighth inning. River Bandits first baseman Conrad Gregor reached on an error by second baseman Sam Roberts, went to second base when third baseman Tyler White was hit by a pitch, and scored when shortstop Luis Baez made a wild throw to first base on a double-play attempt.

With the Snappers' lead cut to 4-3, River Bandits right-hander Zach Morton began the bottom of the eighth inning by allowing a single to catcher Jose Chavez before a sacrifice by Powell that was the final batter in Morton's 3 1/3 innings. Left-hander Albert Minnis entered to allow two singles, including Brugman's RBI single that extended the lead to 5-3.

In the ninth inning, Avila worked around a one-out double by Mathis, who was left at second base after a Phillips flyout and Ramsay groundout to end the game. The loss was Quad Cities' 12th by two runs or fewer this season.

Quad Cities and Beloit meet for the series rubber match at 2 p.m. Sunday. River Bandits right-hander Adrian Houser (0-0) is scheduled to face Snappers right-hander Junior Mendez (0-2).

UP NEXT: Cinco de Mayo and Markdown Monday presented by 97X kick off a six-game River Bandits homestand May 5. Bleacher tickets for the 7 p.m. game are just $2 each, with $2 specials for hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn, nachos, beer and soda, in addition to $3 . Tickets are available at www.riverbandits.com. To order any of the ticket plans - with new lower prices - call the River Bandits box office at 563-324-3000. Season ticket and mini-plan packages start at just seven games and begin at less than $40. Call a River Bandits account representative today to choose your seats and get the details of our various mini-plan packages.

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today presented Chicago native and Duke University men's basketball coach Michael Krzyzewski - Coach K - with the Order of Lincoln, the state's highest honor.

"From college athletes to world superstars, Coach K has been an inspiration to all. He has taught countless people how to act with character and purpose, and inspired generations to dream big.

"Through his decades of dedication and perseverance as a coach, to his service and charity with young students, Coach K has brought honor to our state.

"It's an honor present Coach K with the state's highest award and thank him for the continued inspiration he brings to basketball fans across the country."

Krzyzewski received the Order of Lincoln on Saturday at the Art Institute of Chicago as part of the 50th Annual Convocation of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois. The Lincoln Academy is a non-partisan, independent organization which administers the award and chooses each year's honorees.

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CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today will present Hillary Rodham Clinton with the Order of Lincoln, the state's highest honor. He released the following statement:

"Through her decades of service, whether as First Lady, U.S. Senator or Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton has personified the best of Illinois and the United States.

"As the First Lady and later U.S. Senator, she worked across party lines to expand economic opportunity and access to quality, affordable health care, including for wounded service members, veterans and members of the National Guard and Reserves.

"As Secretary of State, she helped restore America's standing in the world. She strengthened our global leadership and pushed the frontiers of human rights by demonstrating that giving women the opportunity to fully participate is vital to security, stability and prosperity.

"Hillary Clinton was born right here in Illinois and has traveled to more than 80 countries representing the United States. She's earned worldwide respect as a champion of human rights, democracy, civil society and opportunity for women. She has shaped and changed the world we live in and serves as an inspiration for the people of Illinois, as well as millions of people around the globe.

"The Order of Lincoln is the state's highest award, given to those who have brought honor to Illinois, years of public service, or contributions to the betterment of humanity.

"Hillary Clinton has exemplified all of these qualities.

"It is an honor to present Hillary Clinton with the state's highest award and thank her for the service she continues to provide to the people around the world."

Clinton will receive the award on Saturday evening at the Field Museum in Chicago as part of the 50th Annual Convocation of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois. The Lincoln Academy is a non-partisan, independent organization which administers the award and chooses each year's honorees.

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ROCK ISLAND, IL (05/02/2014)(readMedia)-- Jordan Kirkbride of Rock Island co-curated "Whistler and His Context" as part of her Senior Inquiry for art history. The exhibition examines the works of James McNeill Whistler and artists working before, during and after his career, in an effort to understand Whistler's life and art in their context.

This exhibition reflects the sustained research on Whistler from the Centre for Whistler Criticism. The center's mission is to promote scholarship related to Whistler, and to create a digital archive of lifetime criticism of Whistler and his art. Kirkbride was afforded the rare undergraduate opportunity to research original archival collections from such international centers as the Smithsonian Institution and the University of Glasgow.

Kirkbride will present her senior inquiry paper on May 13 at 7 p.m. in Room 12, Bergendoff Hall of Fine Arts (3701 7th Ave., Rock Island, Illinois).

Founded in 1860, Augustana College is a selective four-year residential college of the liberal arts and sciences. The college is recognized for the innovative program Augie Choice, which provides each student up to $2,000 to pursue a high-impact learning experience such as study abroad, an internship or research with a professor. Current students and alumni include 149 Academic All-Americans, a Nobel laureate, 13 college presidents and other distinguished leaders. The college enrolls 2,500 students and is located along one of the world's most important waterways, the Mississippi River, in a community that reflects the diversity of the United States.

Maquoketa Art Experience and the Maquoketa Area Chamber of Commerce

Invite you to our OPEN HOUSE

Tuesday, May 6, 2014 from 4:00 - 6:00 pm

124 S. Main St., Maquoketa, Iowa

5:30 pm...Ribbon Cutting

Hors d'oeuvres will be furnished by Black Hills Energy

Refreshments furnished by B & C Liquor

We hope you can stop by and see the remodeling of the building housing both of us!

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack today announced that the City of Davenport will receive $418,918 in AmeriCorps funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS).

"As we have seen firsthand here in Iowa, AmeriCorps members are an indispensable resource for the communities and individuals they serve," said Loebsack. "We are fortunate here in Iowa where civic engagement and a sense of community are the norm. I am proud to support AmeriCorps and other programs that truly make a difference in our communities. I congratulate the City of Davenport for receiving this grant, and thank all those who have answered the call to serve others."

This competitively awarded grant will be used to put 73 AmeriCorps members on the ground in Davenport to help improve graduation rates across the city. At the end of the first program year, the AmeriCorps members will be responsible for raising the attendance rates and course grades, and decreasing the high-risk behaviors and disciplinary actions, for at least 1,000 at-risk youth in the Quad Cities region. In addition, the AmeriCorps members will leverage an additional 600 volunteers who will be engaged in one-to-one youth mentoring each year.

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Rock Island, IL - The Rock Island Rotary Club awarded a $500 grant to help Christian Care provide therapeutic services to children who arrive at its Domestic Violence Shelter with their mothers. "All children who have seen and experienced domestic violence in the home can benefit from professional counseling," said Christian Care's CEO, Dr. Elaine Winter. "With our Awakening Children to Empowerment (ACE) Program, children over the age of two receive the mental and emotional support, the nurturing, and the affirming validation they need to heal from the effects of domestic violence. We thank the Rock Island Rotary for its gift; not only are we working together to help these families in need, but to help their future families, as well."

Christian Care is transforming the lives of homeless individuals, victims of domestic violence, veterans, men and women coming out of prison, and those with mental illness. Its two facilities?a domestic violence shelter for abused women and children and a rescue mission for homeless men?provide safe shelter, nutritious meals, clothing, counseling, referrals and guidance to those in need. Christian Care's services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week with the goal of nourishing the bodies, minds, hearts and souls of the men, women and children who come seeking a new way of life. If you know someone in need, call the Christian Care crisis hotline any hour of the day or night at (309) 788-2273.

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